Ruinous Ends by I.V. Marie

The quick cut: The students of Blackwood Academy try to save the afterlife after the Decennial ends.

A real review: 

School can be difficult for anyone, but how would you fare if the lives of everyone around you depended on your success? That is the situation for the students of Blackwood Academy. 

 Blackwood Academy sits in purgatory and while everyone knows the only way out is the Decennial, that may no longer be the case. The students have slowly discovered that one of them is destined to be the end of the school and kill the afterlife altogether. Another student is willing to do whatever it takes to save her. Will they be able to save the afterlife from ending? Or give it all up in order to save their own goals? 

 Where the first book was a very quick read for me, this one was definitely at a slower pace. The characters are all going their own directions, mostly in pairs. Where the first book really pulled me in with the intrigue and the character interactions, this one feels like it's being pulled in too many different directions at once. I get it, that is necessary considering the series was written to be in two parts. However, I enjoyed it a lot more when they all interact together as a group. 

 Wren and August are easily my favorite pair considering their chemistry together. It felt wasted in this book though considering they spend most of the book in the same situation. I would have loved to see them go through more action and development. 

 A core part of the plot for this book was finding the true headmaster, which definitely took a dark turn. The path getting there took so long though that it felt like it took the punch out of the reveal. The ending definitely was a mixed bag considering that finality and answers are provided, but I didn't like the vast majority of them. 

 A compelling story for those who prefer a slower paced read. 

My rating: 3.5 out of 5